The Princess and the Rogue
by 7Knight-Wolf
Summary: Before Kiara and Kovu run to Simba's rescue in TLK2, Kovu looks extremely reluctant. If the scene hadn't cut away, what would Kovu have said? Is he already too much like Scar to be helped?


**The Princess and the Rogue **

It was a beautiful, mystic image that wavered on the surface of the water. The shadowy reflections of both lions, princess and rogue, had melted together into one body. On the edge of the little pool Kovu and Kiara were cuddled up together, staring blissfully at their mirrored selves.

"Hey look, we are one," said Kovu with a playful smile.

Why did that phrase sound so familiar? Kiara couldn't help a little gasp as she remembered. Seasons ago, her father said those exact words, "We are One." Back then Simba's wisdom had sounded unpleasant. Now it suddenly made sense.

Kiara was bound to her Pride whether she acknowledged it or not. It was her choice to honor that tie or to ignore it. If she ignored it, there would be consequences that carried down into many generations. Family was critically important—not just for survival, but also for fellowship. She also realized that the Outlanders needed real family too. If Kiara and Kovu could become one, what was to stop the very merging of their prides? It was the only way for this to end peacefully.

"Let's get out of here." Suddenly Kovu jumped up from Kiara's side. His eyes glowed with adoration and desire as he exclaimed, "We'll run away together and start a pride all our own!"

Kiara chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Kovu, we have to go back," she said, affectionately nudging him with her head.

Kovu's expression changed. "You're kidding? But we're finally together!"

"Our place is with our pride," answered Kiara gently. "If we run away, they'll be divided forever."

Refusing to meet her eyes, Kovu let his gaze stray. He looked and felt uncomfortable. How could he tell Kiara what he was thinking? Brought up by Zira, the only emotions he was trained to acknowledge were anger and lust. He hid his other feelings.

"I know you've been through a hard time lately." Kiara tried to understand.

"How can you know?" Kovu challenged. His voice grew bitter as he went on. "You've always had everything you ever wanted. I had nothing. I never even knew what I wanted let alone get it." The red lion sighed and tried to calm himself. "Kiara…I'm so confused. You're the only thing I see clearly. You're the only one who understands me and you're the only thing I want."

"Then come home with me," Kiara begged.

"I _can't_," Kovu growled. "Don't you understand? My mother nearly blinded me and left a lifelong scar. She rejected me. I cared about your Pride too, but they exiled me. They _hate_ me! Everybody hates me. I'm not even sure that I don't hate myself."

"Kovu." Tears glittered in Kiara's large, empathetic eyes. "You're a wonderful person. You're brilliant, strong, and daring. I don't know anyone who _feels_ things as deeply as you do. What's not to love?"

Bottled up feelings were exploding inside of Kovu. "I killed my own brother!" he roared savagely. "I betrayed my sister and my mother! No mater how hard I try to fit in, your idiot father still hates me! I am the heir of scar and I have blackness in my soul."

Kiara's beautiful feline face was resolute. "I love you," she said.

"You shouldn't!" he snarled.

"I love you," she repeated.

"You can't! Why? How? It doesn't even make sense."

Kiara replied, "You're the one I'm meant to be with. I love you because you're part of me and part of the circle of life. We are one, remember? I don't care what you've done to hurt others, and I don't care how messed up you think you are because others have hurt you. I just love you."

Kovu's composure began to reinstate itself. Still, he wasn't sure if he could believe Kiara's words. "I'm becoming more like Scar every day," he confessed. "It's true that Nuka is dead because of me. Scar killed his brother too. Look, I even have Scar's trademark injury."

Kiara was silent for several seconds. She was trying to remember every detail her parents had shared about the brilliant and terrible Scar. "Kovu," she said at length, "Scar was a genius. He also took his emotions very seriously. Those are some good things about Scar, and they didn't make him hateful. Do you know what _did_ make him hateful?"

"Greed," replied Kovu.

"It's more than that. Scar was different than everybody else; he was looked down on because of his differences. So, he looked down on himself too. Isn't that what's wrong with you now—shame?" Kiara remembered her father's good teachings and continued. "You have to let go of shame or it will make you go after the power that other lions have. You will grow hateful and jealous of them, and hateful of everybody. That's what happened to Scar. Please, please don't let it happen to you."

"Hmm," Kovu grunted thoughtfully. Maybe Kiara was right. The more Kovu shamed himself the more like Scar he became. He didn't want to feel so burdened. He wanted to be himself. "But here's the problem," Kovu said out loud. "What if your Pride doesn't accept me? I tried to plead my case to Simba earlier…" he tried not to shudder…"but the look on his face when he exiled me…"

"I know. It must have been…heartbreaking." Kiara brushed her head against Kovu's, trying to show that she cared. "Simba is a part of me, Kovu; but you're a part of me too. If my father doesn't respect you it's proof that he doesn't respect me either. That means he's breaking our family apart…and things will have to change."

Kovu's green eyes locked with his lioness' brown ones. "So…if they don't want me…?"

"Then you and I may have to start our own pride after all. I can still love my father from a distance. Let them have the world, Kovu. You and I will create our own world…in each other. That won't change now matter how different you are."

Kovu smiled and lovingly licked his lioness. "Thank you, Kiara," he said simply. He had been so afraid, but now he realized something. Love is never wrong…and so it never dies.

"Well then." Kiara stretched, preparing for the journey back to Pride Rock. "Let's go home."

The lions set off just as the rain began to fall. They ran in rhythm, with their feet and hearts in sync. They were so different, yet so similar; both were brave, deeply-feeling lions who stood out among their prides. Strangely enough, being different did not bother them anymore. Differentness was a blessing, not a curse.

And even more blessed than standing out was the blessedness of standing out…together.

**The End **


End file.
